Take-up mechanism for sewing-machines.



A. H. DE VOE.

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR SEWlNG MACHiNES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1913.

1 181634 Patenmd Jan. 11, 1916 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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BY WW yw COLUMBIA PLANoGR/gm C0.. WASHINGTON, 0. cv

A; H. DE VOE.

TAKE-UP MECHANiSM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES: l/Vl/E/VTOI? COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0-,\VASH|NGTON. u. c.

ALBERT H. DE VOE,

0F WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 19116.

Application filed June 24, 1913. Serial No. 775,477.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT H. DE Von, citizen of the United States, residing at Vestfield, in the county of Union and State 'entially moving thread-controlling arms,

one of said arms being operatively carried by a link connected to an oscillating crankarm mounted upon a shaft journaled in the overhanging bracket-arm of the frame, and the remaining thread-controlling arm being operated by said link through the intermediary of theneedlebar to which the said link and arm are connected. The thread passes through the usual tension devices and guides to the thread-controlling arms, the outer ends of which are provided with thread-eyes through which the thread passes to the needle or needles.

In the operation of the machine the aforesaid thread-controlling arms operate to produce and control slack thread as the needle descends through the previously formed loop held by the looper and until said loop is released. Immediately upon the release of the loop said arms cease their slack producing action, and the thread required by the descending needle is supplied from the released loop, the latter being drawn toward the work; thus part of the stitch-setting operation is performed as the needle continues its descent and before the looper advances. As the needle rises and the looper advances, the arms are so operated that they have no appreciable elfect upon the thread, and the necessary slack for the loop-seizing operation is thrown off by the upward movement of the needle through the work. But immediately after the new loop is seized by the looper, the thread-controlling arms act to finally set the stitch formed by the released loop concatenated by the new loop held upon the looper blade. Such stitch setting action continues until the needle reaches its extreme upper position.

In the construction set forth, the non-rotary thread-controlling members set the stitch by gradual operations distributed over a period of time greater in length than heretofore possible in devices of this type, thus permitting stitch-forming operations at speeds which formerly would cause breakage of thread owing to the more abrupt operation of the known thread-controlling and stitch-setting devices of the present type.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a multiple-needle chain-stitch sewing machine embodying my improvements, the needle-bar being in its extreme lower position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, showing in dotted lines the position of the thread-controlling arms when the needlebar is in its extreme upper position. Fig. 3 is a front view of the needle-bar, thread-controlling arms and looper, showing in full lines the position such parts assume intermediate the positions shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 2, and showing in dotted lines a subsequent position of said parts. Fig. at is a front view of the aforesaid parts, showing the needle at the end of its descent and the looper immediately prior to its advance. Fig. 5 is a perspective view in detail of the thread-controlling arms and connections.

The frame of the sewing machine shown in dotted lines consists of the base 1 from which rises a hollow standard 2 and overhanging arm 3, the latter being formed with the hollow head 4: in which is 'ournaled the reciprocating needle-bar 5, carrying needleclamp 5 and needles 6. Disposed longitudinally of the base beneath the work-plate 7 and journaled in the hollow standard 2 and bearing members 8 and 9 rising from the bed 1 is a driving shaft 10, which is provided at its rearward portion with a crank, which through the intermediary of the pitman-lever 11 and suitable connections, operates rock-shaft 12, the latter being journaled in the overhanging arm 3 and carrying at its forward end oscillating crank-arm 18 which through the connections hereinafter described serves to impart reciprocating movements to the needle-bar.

Upon the forward portion 10* of the driving-shaft is mounted the looper-actuating eecentric 14: provided with loose sleeve 15 which carries inclined boss 16 serving as a guideway for inclined pin 17 One end portion of pin 17 is secured by set-screws 18 in boss 19, the latter being formed upon lateral arm 20 of sleeve 21, mounted in the bearing members 8 and 9 beneath and par-- allel with the main-shaft. Secured'to lateral arm 20 by means of screw 22 is the shank of looper-carrier 23 which carries the loopers 24. The aforesaid looper-actuating eccentric and its connections with the loopercarrier, serve to produce a quick advancing movement of the loopers to seize the needle loops, and a retarded loop-releasing move ment, said movements taking place on opposite sides of the needle-path, as more fully described and illustrated in my Patent No. 1,035,801, dated February 3, 1914:.

Crank-arm 13, at its outer end, is provided with an aperture to receive a stud upon which is pivotally mounted collar 26 of link 27, which, at its lower end, is provided with a collar 28 for the reception of stud 29 carried by split collar 30 secured in fixed position upon needle-bar by means of screws 31. The actuation of pitman-lever 11 and rock-shaft 12 by driving shaft 10 will oscillate crank-arm 13 and, through link 27 and 1 its connections with needle-bar 5, cause vertical reciprocation of the latter, as will be understood without further explanation.

Fixed collar 30, carried by needle-bar 5, is provided with a laterally extending shoulder 30 formed with a recess which is a dapted to receive the shank of a tln'ead-controlling arm 32. Arm 32 is formed with a slot through which passes fastening screw 33, said slot being of sufficient length to permit adjustment of said arm in the recess. Link 27 likewise is provided with a laterally eX- tending shoulder 27 formed with a recess to receive the shank of a second thread-controlling arm 3 said arm being adjustably secured to link 27 by means of screw 35 which passes through a slot formed in the shank of said arm. In the present instance arm 3-1 is arranged to operate in a path adjacent the rear face of tln'ead-controlling arm 32, and to that end arm 34: is provided with an intermediate portion 36 bent at right angles to its operative end and to its shank, thus bringing the operative end of said arm forward of the link to which the arm is attached.

The operating end of each thread-controlling arm is provided with a series of apertures to receive the needle threads. In thepresent instance needle-bar f carries multiple needle-clamp 5*, provided with four needles, and each thread-controlling arm is provided with a. corresponding number of thread-apertu res. Each needle-thread passes from the tension devices 37 to a series of thread-guides 38, 39 and 40 and thence through a tln'ead-aperture in thread-controlling arm 34: and through a correspond ing tln'ead-aperture in thread-controlling arm 32, from which it passes to the needleclamp andneedle.

The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2, rotation of the driving shaft will transmit motion to rock-shaft 12 and cause crank-arm 13 to swing downward, carrying with it the link, needle-bar and thread-controlling arms. As the needle-bar descends from the position shown in full lines Fig. 2 to the position shown in full lines Fig. 3, the upper portion of link 27 is carried clownward and outward while the lower end of said link is given a short downward movement. Such movement of the link causes arms 32 ant 3t to move downwardly, the movement of arm 34 being at greater speed and said arm also moving outwardly until the parts reach the position shown in full lines Fig. 3. By such movements the thread-controlling arms-draw up any slack thread not required during the subsequent descent of the needle to avoid splitting thread by the needle point before entering the work.

As the needle-bar continues its desciut, the relative position of the thread-control ling arms is substantially maintained until the parts reach the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2, and the needle penetrates the work. As rock-shaft 12 continues its movement, the operative end of crank-arm 13 is carried to the left toward a vertical line drawn through the axis of the rock-shaft. Such movement of crank-arm 13 imparts a similar movement to the upper end of link 27, thereby moving arm 3% downwardly and inwardly at relatively slow speed while arm 32 is given a quick downward movement, until the edges and thread-apertures of one arm come into substantial register with the edges and thread-apertures of its coacting arm as shown in dotted lines Fig. 3. During the aforesaid change in position of said arms the slack thread required during the partial descent of the needle-bar is supplied by the gradual release of the thread held between said arms in their relative offset position.

hen the parts reach the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 3 the thread is free from slack and is drawn taut from guide to to the needle-eye, the needle having passed through the previously formed loop held at the end of the looper-blade and the looper being in position to release said loop. The continued movement of driving shaft 10 actuates the looper, and the loop is released. Immediately thereafter link 27 imparts a quick downward movement to arm 32, while the downward movement of the apertured end of the arm 34 is practically discontinued, the same moving inwardly at relatively slow speed,. its drawing action ceased. Owingto the disposition of arm 32 ad acent arm the former in lts aforesaid movement shdes down the thread toward the needle with no appreciable action, and the thread I required by the descending needle is supplied from the released loop, the latter being drawn toward the work, such action continuing until the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 4:.

By the foregoing it will be seen that during the descent of the needle from its extreme upper position shown in Fig. 2 to its extreme lower position shown in Fig. 4, the thread-controlling arms operate to control the slack thread and also cooperate with the needle in performing part of the stitch-setting operation.

In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 4, the looper is ready to advance to seize and spread the needle-loop. During the aforesaid operation of the looper it is necessary to produce slack in the needle-thread. To such end, as the looper advances, the threadcontrolling arms change their position from that shown in Fig. l to that shown in dotted lines Fig. 3. the parts, arm 34. moves forward at slow speed while arm 32 slides up the thread, the needle in its forward movement throwing off slack until the looper-blade seizes the loop. But as soon as the looper-blade has seized the needle-loop, the former reaching the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 3, crank-arm 13 and link 27 offset the threadcontrolling arms with relation to each other, thus drawing the thread taut, said arms assuming the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2, their relative position remaining substantially unchanged, and their thread drawing action continuing until the parts reach the position shown in full lines Fig. 3. In the operation of take-up devices of the present type, in which the takeup members operate during the rise of the needlebar to set the stitch, considerable pull is exerted upon the thread, a pull which increases as the loop is drawn toward the work and the stitch-setting operation approaches its completion. It has been found that such mechanism will frequently break the thread as the take-up'member or members and the needle-bar approach their extreme upper position, owing to the quick abrupt pull given to the taut thread at such point and the relatively high degree of tension necessary to compel the take-up member or members to draw thread from the re leased loop rather than wholly from the tension device. Such breakage of thread has been so common in machines running at very high speeds as to necessitate the use of cam take ups or the like designed to ease the pull 'upon the thread at the take-up point In such change of position of in question. By distributing the stitch-setting operation over two stages the present construction avoids the aforesaid defect. In

, the first stage the arms move from the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 3 successively to the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2 and full lines Fig. 3, as hereinbefore de scribed, thereby operating'to gradually decrease the size of the released loop and simultaneously therewith to draw the same toward the work. In the second stage, the stitch-setting operation proper, means are provided for so reducing thevpull upon the thread that the effect thereupon is equivalent to a reduction in the speed of the machine approximately one-half. Such means are as follows: hen the parts reach the position shown in full lines Fig. 3 it becomes necessary to reduce the pull upon the thread for the reasons aforesaid. end crank-arm 13 swings upward and to the left beyond a horizontal line through its axis thereby carrying arm 34 upward and to the left at practically twice the speed of the upward movement of arm 32. By such action the thread held between said arms in their offset position is quickly released and serves to reduce the degree of pull upon the thread at such critical point. The thread acted upon in said stitch-setting operation extends from the arms, through the work and the needle-eye, around the looper, thence over the work and thence under the work and around the loop held upon the looperblade. During their upward movement the such bar, such arms are rendered practically.

inactive with respect to the thread for a period during the descent and for a period during the rise of the needle, and that the thread drawing action of said arms is reduced as the needle-bar approaches its ex treme upper position, to satisfy requirements of the stitch-forming mechanism arising at these periods. In the present instance the neutral action of said arms takes place as the needle approaches its extreme descent and as it rises from such position. Such action is produced by so arranging the crankarm that in one of its extreme positions it assumes an acute angle with respect to a horizontal line transverse of its axis, while in its opposite position it assumes an angle of much less degree-in other words. the movement of the crank-arm in one direction carries its operative end a greater distance past the horizontal axial line than in its opposite movement. The result of such action being that as the crank-arm approaches its extreme position in the greater path, and also during a portion of its return movement, the movement imparted arm 3% is practically in a horizontal plane. By such movement arm 3% ceases its drawing action upon the thread as the needle continues its descent, and adjacent arm 32 slides upon the thread without appreciable action thereon for the purpose hereinbefore described.

By the described construction the advantages of cam operated take-up and threadcontrolling devices, including their gradual action upon the thread, are secured, without the use of any actuating means other than that used'to cause vertical reciprocation of the needle. By such construction also the defects of rotary thread controlling and stitchsetting members are avoided, serious defects of such devices being their thread winding action upon broken threads and the high degree of friction produced on the thread.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a needle-bar, a shaft, and a link connecting said shaft and the needle-bar, of coacting thread controlling members carried respectively by the needlebar and the link to have thread drawing actions in transversepaths.

2. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft anda link connecting said shaft and the needle-bar, a thread-controlling arm operatively connected to the needle-bar, and a thread-controlling element operatively con nected to said link and coacting with said thread-controlling arm to reduce the degree of pull upon the thread as theneedle-bar approaches its extreme upper position.

3. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft and a link connecting said shaft and the needle-bar, a thread-controlling arm operatively connected to the needle-bar, and a thread-controlling element bodily movable with said link, said thread-controlling arm and thread-controlling element moving differentially to take up slack thread and to reduce the degree of such take-up action during a portion of the rise of said needlebar.

4:. I11 combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft and a link connecting said shaft and the needlebar, thread controlling arms operatively connected to the needle-bar and link respectively and bodily movable to neutralize their action upon the thread during a portion of the descent and during a portion of the rise of said needle-bar.

5. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a needle, a lo'oper and actuating means therefor, a

shaft and a link connecting said shaft and the needle-bar, of thread-controlling members operatively connected to the needlebar and link to move bodily and differentially in adjacent paths and operating during the descent of the needle to produce slack thread and thereafter permit the action of the needle to draw up a previously formed loop, and operating during the rise of the needle to permit the action of the needle to form slack for a loop seizing operation and therafter to finally set the previously formed and concatenated loop to complete the stitch.

6. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft, a link connecting said shaft and the needlebar, and coactin'g thread-controlling arms deriving operative movements from said link, the operative end of one arm moving in a rectilinear path and the operative end of its co-acting arm rocking across a line parallel with said rectilinear path.

7. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft, a link connecting said shaft and the needlebar, and coacting thread-controlling arms deriving operative movements from said link, one arm being confined to movement within a rectilinear path and its coacting arm having movements toward and from said rectilinear path.

8. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft, and a link connection between said shaft and the needle-bar of a thread-controlling arm carried by said needle-bar and a threadcontrolling arm carried by said link and cooperating with the first named arm in alternate slack forming and take-up operations during both the descent and the rise of the needle-bar.

9. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft and a link between said shaft and the needle-bar, of a thread-controlling arm carried by said needle-bar and a thread-controlling arm connected with said link, and a crankarm connecting said shaft and said link and moving in one direction to assume an acute angle with respect to a horizontal line transverse of its axis and in the opposite direction to assume an angle of less degree.

10. In combination with stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft and a link between said shaft and the needle-bar, of a thread-controlling arm carried by said needle-bar and a thread-controlling arm connected with said link, and a crank-arm connecting said link and said shaft and moving in one direction toassume an angle with respect to a horizontal line transverse of its axis moving in the reverse direction to assume an acute angle of greater degree and by such latter movement carrying the 0 erative end of the arm connected to said ink substantially in a horizontal plane While the arm carried by said needle-bar continues to move in a vertical plane.

11. In combination With stitch-forming mechanism, including a needle-bar, a shaft and a link connecting said shaft and the needle-bar of a thread-controlling arm carried by said needle-bar and a thread-controlling arm carried by said link, the latter arm in a portion of its movement being operatively moved by said link in a path substantially at right angles to the path of movement of the needle-bar and the arm carried thereby.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT H. DE VOE.

Witnesses W. LEE HELMs, WM. P. STEWART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

in the presence 20 

